Sony WH-CH530 vs WH-CH520 and WH-CH530 FCC Teardown

Looking at the PCB, the shape has changed, but some things have remained the same, like the electret voice microphone, which is still soldered to the PCB.

The driver connection is also soldered, along with the driver connection from the left side. The battery connection now uses the new 3 pin connector present on the WH-Ch730N and WH-1000XM4C. Previously the WH-CH520 had the battery wires soldered the the PCB. The battery is user replaceable. Between the USB-C port and volume button is the indicator LED.

Flipping over the PCB, we have the Bluetooth chip and a mystery chip on the right side. I tried throw the chip’s logo into Google image search, but nothing popped up for me.

The PCB is dated 2552, or the last week of December 2025. The writing on the Bluetooth chip definitely says Airoha, but the model number is not readable. Thankfully, the manual from the FCC reveals the chip as Airoha AB1571AM. The previous model used the Airoha AB1561M.

Here is how the two chips compare:

	Airoha AB1571	Airoba AB1561M
Host Processor	ARM Cortex-M4	–
DSP	Cadence HiFi Mini Audio	Cadence HiFi Mini Audio
Other features	Bluetooth 6.0 LE Audio	Bluetooth 5.2
	Call AI Noise suppression and echo cancellation	Call Noise suppression and echo cancellation

While both chips have noise suppression and echo cancellation, the newer AB1571 uses AI. I would think the chip is using the DSP along with the ARM core running an AI algorithm to suppress the noise and echoes. The older chip also has noise suppression but no AI, as it lacks the ARM core. No idea if my explanation is correct though.

I did look for node details for both chips, but found nothing. The new chip is definitely an improvement over the old one, but whether this has any impact on sound quality, I do not believe so. If anyone has compared the new and old models, please drop a comment below.

User Replaceable Battery

Turning to the battery. I mentioned the shape of the battery has changed, and this is evident in the photo below.

The reference guide mentions two battery suppliers, and this is confirmed by the Taiwanese certification. The battery is 3.85v 375 mAh.

• Highpower – model 631442
• VDL – model 631442PM4

The battery dimensions based off the model number would be 14 x 42 x 6.3mm. The WH-CH520’s battery was 3.7 300mAh, and the model was 621733, which would be 17 x 33 x 6.2mm, so very different to the new WH-CH530.

Sony is using the same battery models for their most premium model, the 1000X the Collexion. The two batteries are wired in parallel, providing the same voltage, 3.85V, but twice the amperage, 750mAh. The setup is visible in my WH-1000XX post in June.

With the WH-CH530 switching to a connector for the battery, replacing the battery will be a much quicker and easier task than in the WH-CH520.

With that, this finishes the FCC teardown. If you wish to grab a new WH-CH530 and want to support the blog, please consider using my affiliate links below. This helps the blog earn a small commission on each sale. Thank you.

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